The 15th Annual International Conference on Microbial Genomics will continue the tradition of[unreadable] bringing investigators from biology, technology and computer sciences together to discuss the most recent[unreadable] advances in microbial genomics. This year?s series will continue to incorporate frontier areas including new[unreadable] microbial communities, metagenomics, structural proteomics, synthetic biology including the modeling and[unreadable] building of genetic circuits and metabolic pathways and conceivably the synthesis of completely artificial[unreadable] genomes. We will also emphasize a new topic for this conference, bioenergy. The combination of topics[unreadable] presented by leaders in the field, will offer attendees both the opportunity to build on existing genomic[unreadable] projects or initiate new research utilizing the latest technology. As with past meetings, we expect[unreadable] participants from a wide range of disciplines, including those from both academic and industrial institutions.[unreadable] In addition, this conference will provide fellowship awards to support graduate students in order to train the[unreadable] next generation of genomic experts.[unreadable] [unreadable] The conference will consist of seven sessions: (1) Community biology/metagenomics and[unreadable] pathogenesis; (2) Bioenergy; (3) Pathway engineering and Synthetic biology; (4) Evolution and Comparative[unreadable] Genomics; (5) Regulation of Genomes; (6) Computer modeling resources and systems biology; and (7)[unreadable] Structural genomics and biology. There will also be an afternoon poster session on Monday, Tuesday and[unreadable] Wednesday offering the opportunity for all the participants to present their work.[unreadable] [unreadable] The conference will be held at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center on the University of Maryland[unreadable] College Park campus from September 16 to 20, 2007. Frederick Blattner (UW-Madison), who has been an[unreadable] integral part of the Conference since its inception, will chair this year?s meeting. The organizing committee[unreadable] consists of Patricia Kiley (UW-Madison), Jeffrey H. Miller (University of California at Los Angeles), Nicole T.[unreadable] Perna (UW-Madison), Elisabeth Raleigh (New England Biolabs, Inc.), Steven Salzberg (UMD-College[unreadable] Park), George Weinstock (Baylor College of Medicine), Jizhong Zhou (Oklahoma University).